


He's so fast

by Misila



Series: Tumblr drabbles [12]
Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Friendship, M/M, rinharu if you squint - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 05:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6503503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misila/pseuds/Misila
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Those words sound so different from the sentence Rin repeated over and over before transferring that Kisumi’s heart clenches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He's so fast

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Things you said that I wish you hadn't.

 

 

 

The last time Kisumi saw Rin, he was bouncing on his toes, babbling about transferring to Iwatobi and saying something about swimming a relay with a guy called _Nanase_. He was almost giggling, pink spreading over his cheeks as he mentioned he was thinking about going abroad for middle school and forgot to say he would miss his friends in Sano.

Kisumi felt a bit hurt then, but it was fine. Rin was going to do something that made him happy.

Now, when Kisumi sees Rin, all he can think about is that he’s crying. And while he has seen Rin cry more than once since they met, he can’t help but worry, because Rin looks so distressed he hasn’t noticed him and doesn’t even check before crossing the street.

Kisumi calls his name, hands covering his mouth when a car stops dead with a blood-curling squeal to avoid hitting his friend. Rin winces, looks around as the driver honks and shouts something about _kids these days_ , starts running again.

And Kisumi can only follow him, cross the street as he ignores the angry driver’s swearing, because he has no idea of what is wrong, but he doesn’t want Rin to die.

He reaches his friend on the corner, grabs his arm to stop him. Rin struggles to free himself, not even realising who is holding him.

“I said _I quit_ , Haru! Now leave me alo––” But then he takes in Kisumi’s face and his lips form a perfect _o_ in surprise. He still manages to shake his friend’s hand off his arm. “Kisumi.”

Kisumi nods, unsure of how approach Rin. He hasn’t seen him in almost a whole year, and it’s been months since he got a letter from Australia.

“What’s wrong?” he tries.

The question only makes Rin cry harder. He rubs eyes with his sleeve, but it only makes them get redder and puffier.

“N–Nothing… I just…”

“Did you and Haru argue?”

Rin drops his arms at his sides, stares at the ground.

“He’s so fast,” he mumbles, and it sounds so – _defeated_ – different from the sentence he repeated over and over before transferring that Kisumi’s heart clenches. “I can’t keep up, and I– I… I don’t want to keep swimming.”

 _No_. Kisumi shakes his head. He has heard Rin perfectly, but he doesn’t want to believe those words have just come out his lips. Rin _loves_ swimming, he can’t give it up now.

“But you can’t–”

“Shut up!” Rin bites his lip to keep it from trembling, sniffling loudly as new tears run down his cheeks. “Don’t tell anyone,” he adds in a quiet voice, and it sounds like a plea.

“I won’t. I just–” Kisumi trails off. He wants to help Rin, but he doesn’t know how. He makes up his mind when Rin turns around to keep walking. “Hey! Rin!” he calls, catching up with him in two long strides. “Can I at least walk you home?” he asks, because Rin looks really out of it and Kisumi doesn’t want his friend to get hurt.

Rin doesn’t stop, doesn’t look at him.

“Do what you want.”

Kisumi stays true to what Rin makes him promise. He never tells anyone about that day, not even when he sees Haruka after Christmas and sees his empty gaze.

For four years, Rin’s _I don’t want to keep swimming_ keeps replaying in his mind.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on tumblr.


End file.
